


Only Yesterday - Celesgiri - Celestia Ludenburg and Kyoko Kirigiri

by Cha_r_iot



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Genre: Character Death, Execution, F/F, Short, Tragic Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-16 01:34:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28698504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cha_r_iot/pseuds/Cha_r_iot
Summary: A shortish story picturing what it would be like if Celeste had gotten to know Kyoko better.Made this like a year ago and since I'm still trying to find the right story to write, re-uploads will be most of my content.This is my first post!
Relationships: Kirigiri Kyoko/Celestia Ludenberg
Kudos: 36





	Only Yesterday - Celesgiri - Celestia Ludenburg and Kyoko Kirigiri

Tick, tock. Tick, tock.  
The irritating sound of the hands of the clock looping round and round drove me mad.

The rec room was my safe space, the least it could do was stay silent as I read…

Another class trial had come and gone, another batch of students died at the hands of each other.  
And yet, people would still wonder why I chose to stay alone…

Of course, I was alone.  
My shadow was my only accompaniment, contrasting immensely against the polished shine of the oak table that sat before me. In my hands lay one of the few magazines I could pry from the magazine shelf, a particularly disinteresting issue to do with models and such. The art form of modeling never interested me, but I would take any source of entertainment I could get.  
Emitting a loud thwack throughout the vacant room, the magazine slipped out of my fingers, landing only slightly to the left of the Othello board. With a strange sense of amusement, I concealed my mouth with my fingertips, eyes narrowed. 

The page I was on was simply an article describing the makeup tutorial of an infamous fashion blogger- it wasn’t interesting in the slightest. Her tips were appropriately vague, and the look she was going for definitely wasn’t my style. I couldn’t help but cackle at the thought of someone disgracing themself with such a look… ludicrous.

Regardless of my personal opinion, I maneuvered my fingers around the magazine once more, moving it closer to my face to read it more clearly. Not long now, I told myself, before my plan will come to fruition. Then, and only then, can I find some source of entertainment that isn’t despicably dry or mundane…

…

Footsteps echoed through the door that connected the rec room and the hallway, like a teacher rushing to stop their class from rioting.  
My heart skipped a beat, though I displayed little to no emotion. I was well and truly aware that this was the point I could die. Outwitting the enemy was my only chance of escape in the possibility that they were hostile… 

Looming over me were six neatly placed bottles, tinted a light shade of red, each with a figurine of my captor inside. Had needs be, I had planned to smack someone across the head with one as some sort of impromptu defense. 

…

The footsteps only get louder as I assumed the owner was getting closer.

And closer.

And closer.

Until, finally…

As though they were a physical incarnation of the anxiety I held within me, they graced me with their presence...  
Miss Kirigiri.

Notebook in hand, pen gliding across the page as if the paper was the canvas of an aspiring artist, she sauntered her way over to me. My eyes locked on to the movement, though I remained as stoic as ever. 

“Celeste, a pleasure to be speaking with you again.”  
At last, words escaped her lips, breaking the strangely aggressive silence between us. As she addressed me, my head rose only slightly, and I tossed the partly read magazine to the side.

“Ah, but of course. Kyoko, I must admit I was hoping we could chat again.”  
I had to admit, it took me by surprise that Kyoko had willingly approached me first. I was afraid I would have to initiate the interaction between us. However, it was also slightly frightening to wonder why she had done so in the first place.  
I eagerly awaited her next move.

“Fancy a game of pool? It’d be nice to take a break from the exploration of the school.”

“Oh? You’re… inviting me to play with you?”

Despite my expectations, Kyoko made her way over to the pool table, which I had barely glanced at since I arrived in the rec room.  
And yet, this new development interested me. Perhaps she had something to propose during the game, or she intended to kill me while I was distracted?

“Mhmm, well I’m more than willing to burden you with an ever so sweet defeat…”

“We’ll see about that.”

Although, for someone who tended to conceal emotions, she seemed surprisingly genuine as she picked up a nearby cue, and applied a thick layer of chalk to the tip.  
To rival her confidence, I winked at her and hauled the cue balanced at the edge of the table over to me. Without applying chalk, or even taking a moment to aim, I sent the white ball flying towards the formation before it, sending them all off in different directions with a satisfying clunk.  
I couldn’t tell if she found that reckless because I was fixated on how my shot would work out. I idly began to apply chalk to the tip, though I was certain I wouldn’t need it.

As though I had predicted it before it even began, one ball separated from the others and fell into one of the black pockets which sat at the end of the table.

“Impressive shot…”  
Kyoko assured me, as she began to analyze how the balls had separated. I never took her for the type who would be good at this type of game, so it would be interesting to see how she’d play her shot.

“Ah, it was simply luck. I can’t exactly take credit for it…”  
I lined up my now fully prepped cue and sent the ball in my line of vision soaring. 

“You didn’t even check which type of ball you pocketed, are you sure that you should have done that?”

“Mhmm, my luck when it comes to gambling is unrivaled. I do not doubt that I am right.”

“Really?”

Though the ball didn’t find its way to a pocket, I reached my hand into where the other one had fallen, to prove my suspicions.  
Smiling prematurely, I pulled it out to reveal that I was absolutely right- I had gone for the right ball, despite not knowing for certain.

“I think you should take more credit for what you do… it’s truly impressive!”  
She leaned against the side of the pool table, stretching her legs out, her face level with the balls so she could see what she would be able to do. With a hint of certainty in her eyes, she raised herself slightly and aimed. 

“Oh, please Mi- I mean, Kyoko… Do not flatter me so… you’ll give me a complex!”

“Ahaha…”  
As she laughed, she didn’t move from her position. She was dead-set on her goal and seemed reluctant to allow me to distract her further, though she did spare me a genuine giggle.

As I watched her hit the ball with a precise amount of strength, my mind began to wander. Although Kyoko was more than decent company, I hadn’t been able to get my mind off the sneaking suspicion that she had ulterior motives.  
“So, may I ask why you decided to chat with me on this day? Not that I’m opposed to it, or anything.”

After a brief moment of silence, eyes locked on to the movement on the table, the ball she’d been aiming for fell perfectly into the leftmost pocket. 

“I’ve decided not to really trust anyone, I suppose. Spend most of my time searching the school. It gets… lonely.”

It felt reassuring to hear her say that. That she would consider me as a viable option to spend time with. Though, my joy was unspoken.  
Kyoko moved around the table, gloved finger dragging along the outline of the table. As expected, the table was polished enough for it to slide along easily.

When she finally reached an area she appeared to be happy with, she leaned down once more and shot the ball across the table, it’s movements almost unpredictable.  
Unfortunately, the ball she was aiming for didn’t make its way into the pocket, balancing precariously between the line that separated the pocket and the table itself.

Slightly prepared to gloat, I kept my mouth shut and instead offered an encouraging smile. She approached me, it wasn’t best to get too comfortable yet.

Seeing a potentially game-changing shot, I lowered myself to the table, seeing all outcomes in an instant. I nodded to myself.

“Then why did you come to me…? Makoto and you seemed to be hitting it off…”

One, two…

“You’re interesting. I like you.”

“H-huh?”  
Those words completely threw off my balance.  
I couldn’t quite comprehend how someone could say something so… kind-hearted, to someone who obviously didn’t respond well to current situations. I was sure that everyone still alive hated me, well, apart from Hifumi, but it appeared I was mistaken.

Still. It was just a few kind words, and the shock was only temporary. I healed from it as soon as I had started feeling the anxiety swell up inside of me.

But the time I had shaken myself back into reality, Kyoko appeared to have… well, disappeared.  
However, it only took me a second to realize that she was standing right next to me, just out of view due to my stance. It was that sort of feeling where you know someone’s eyes are on you, though you can’t necessarily see them.

“Oh, you’re shaking a little bit. Here…”  
Noticing my odd demeanor, she leaned down beside me and attempted to give me an encouraging smile, mimicking my earlier behavior.  
She reached over me, steadying my aim… her arms enveloping me in what appeared to be a hug-like gesture. I felt myself blush intensely. I’d never had such an affectionate gesture targeted at me...

It was as though Kyoko didn’t notice, or simply didn’t want to speak on how much I began to blush.  
“Better now?”

“Ah, but of course…”  
In my opinion, it was better that way. Maybe she knew that and didn’t want to make me feel uncomfortable. 

One, two, three, now!

———

“That was the closest match I’ve ever had… do you play pool, Kyoko?”  
After the match had ended, I hardly felt the need to brag about my victory. Instead, I was more interested in discussing how my opponent had become so skilled. The match itself was destined to be another victory for me, but the struggle for victory was intense and unpredictable.

“Never professionally. But, as little as I remember of my past, I can recall being quite the fierce opponent in pool matches.”  
Kyoko sounded to be understandably pleased with her skills, even if she didn’t know much about where she got them.

“I’d like to learn more about you, however… what other games are you good with, I wonder?”  
The question itself was rhetorical, though I wouldn’t correct Kyoko if she told me.

“We should play more often, are you fine with meeting again tomorrow?”  
Just as soon as the question escaped my lips, I feared that the offer was childish.  
I was almost certain she’d refuse, and yet…

“Of course, it’s not like I’m going anywhere. Though, let's try something different tomorrow. How do you feel about Othello?”  
I was relieved she accepted my offer and didn’t make me look foolish. I couldn’t help but look forward to our next encounter, due to how much fun it was opposing her. My heart could hardly take the suspense during our game of pool, and it was almost therapeutic to know that she would oppose me again.

“Ah, yes! Sounds perfect.”  
Kyoko nodded with certainty, before pointing an outstretched arm towards me. With a smile that allowed me to feel warmth, even if only for a split second, she bid me farewell.

“A pleasure to meet you for real, this time, Celestia.”

I took her gloved hand in mine, maintaining eye contact as I shook it. We stood there, face to face for a few seconds more than necessary, but it was irrelevant to me nonetheless.  
Finally, she took her hand back and waved, before turning to face the door, newfound confidence evident in the way she left.  
I could only sigh when I fell back into the chair I had previously been sitting in. 

————-

“Good morning, nice to see you again. How are you this morning?”  
Kyoko leaned against the doorway, arms folded. This time, I stood up and moved towards her, rather than making her come to me as I had done previously. I felt considerably more comfortable in her company than our last meeting, and I was practically ecstatic for our next game. Gambling was no fun when the opposition was awful, so that’s why I had yearned for a challenge.

A day had passed since we'd seen each other, our meeting at breakfast being brief, due to Kyoko leaving early to search around the school. Presumably, that’s what she left to do after our game the day before.

“Ah, nice of you to ask. I’m feeling well, how are you?”  
I asked, turning to lead Kyoko over to the seats.

“Average, no clues surfaced from my investigation, so I can’t say I’m too happy.”  
Although she tended to conceal her emotions, there was a certain amount of disappointment audible by the tone of her voice. In fact, it was obvious due to her body language alone. Perhaps a casual game of Othello would cheer her up. In fact, I had been contemplating asking her to stop with the repeated investigations. Maybe it was a force of habit, or maybe she couldn’t sit still, but it was becoming a slightly unhealthy obsession. In the end, I had decided against it. It was unlikely she’d listen.

“What a shame… I hope you weren’t up too early.”  
I could hear her elegant footsteps behind me as I continued to walk to the chairs, where the Othello board was already prepared for our game. 

“Well then, how about we play a game of Othello?”  
As I sat down, placing one leg on top of the other, Kyoko mirrored me. She was right that we were going to play a game, however, I had another idea in mind.

“Indeed, however, I have a proposition for you.”

“Huh? Oh, go ahead.”

“We put something on the line.”

“On the line?”

I appeared to have caught her attention at that moment, snapping her back to life with my words. Her eyes widened as though she had been oblivious to everything I was saying before. 

“Nothing big, just something small. It’ll spice up the game, hmm? What do you say?”

I felt as Kyoko’s eyes washed over me, as she tried to pry some form of emotion from my nonchalant expression. However, to no avail. And, as if in some unspoken form of response, a smile spread across her face. 

“I say… fair game, fair prize. What do you offer up?”

“The loser of the match must do one thing for the other party. Nothing too big, such as laying down their life…”  
I wondered if bringing up the concept of murder was too much in this environment, then recalled how Kyoko could investigate a dead body just as easily as she could breathe.  
Although the concept was vague, I was sure she would comprehend the boundaries. 

“Alright. Let’s give this a go, shall we?”

Kyoko’s eyes darted down towards the board in front of her.  
“As you began last time, I’m sure you’re fine with me starting this time around? You’re lucky I never commented on it…”  
At once, the satisfying clunk of a disc hitting the board could be heard throughout the room. I watched the board momentarily, before gaining the confidence to do something reckless.  
Instead of looking at the board, I stared right into Kyoko’s eyes. It was a cheap intimidation tactic, sure, but that would allow for slip-ups, I was certain. I simply relied on my luck to place the discs. I assumed that Kyoko would flip them at appropriate times, which I could hear due to the surprisingly loud noise it made.

Kyoko would spare a glance at me every so often, with a weak smile, so I assumed that it was at least clouding her judgment a little…

Clunk, clunk, clunk…  
With a pleased grin, Kyoko finally lifted her head.

“Look down, Celestia.”

“Hmm?”

As she requested, I looked down, only to see that I was, of course, winning. As usual.  
As…  
Huh?  
Wait, no!  
I was losing…! My throat dried up out of shock. I’d never been at a disadvantage… ever!  
“H-how could you?”

“I reversed your distraction tactic… it seemed you were overconfident.”  
With a hint of what seemed to be amusement, Kyoko reached over the table and gripped me by the arm, though only softly.

“Hey, you’re still in the position to win, but I think you need to work on your strategies… I can teach you more about the strategies I learned for this game if you’d like. It’s really quite simple once you’re into it.”

She reminded me, again, that I could still win. Something I could never imagine feeling my opponents.  
I knew I couldn’t lose, but I couldn’t get cocky, either. Otherwise, It’d look like I only barely won- which was essentially like torture to me.

————-

“Ah, I was terrified I was about to be dealt a loss…”  
I breathed a sigh of relief as the match concluded, though I didn’t win to the extent I had hoped. Still, I was grateful to have come out victorious, even if I had done so time and time again. Unlike most times, I felt some grand sense of achievement after I saved myself that match- my heart was practically thumping out of my chest, and I was prepared to murder Kyoko if my situation got any worse…  
Well, not murder, but perhaps a more tame alternative.

“You were going to burden me with an ever so sweet defeat, were you not?”  
She joked.  
“I’m surprised you remembered… but, you could have just not told me I was about to lose, you know. You would have been guaranteed the win.”

“Yes, but I wasn’t about to do that to you. Besides, I wanted it to be a fair game.”  
Another strange quality about Kyoko that I couldn’t help but wonder about is how she would allow herself to be inches from victory, and then explain to the opponent what their strategy flaws were. She would be a gambling god if she didn’t have that perplexing habit.  
“Oh, on that note, what would you have me do? As your prize, I’m obligated to fulfill your request.”

“Ah, well…”  
I couldn’t quite form an answer at that moment, as I had completely put my concentration towards the game, to ensure my victory.  
“Meet with me again tomorrow. What kind of tea do you prefer, Kyoko?”

Kyoko cocked her head to one side, one eyebrow raised.  
“I was under the impression that you were strictly against making tea?”

“Exactly, which is exactly why you’ll be making it.”

“Ahaha, so a tea meeting? Sounds fun… a nice change of pace. Well then, I’ll see you soon.”

Kyoko appeared content with her duty, rising from her seat, with not so much as an imprint left behind. Her hand stretched out to push the chair out of the way, allowing her to move towards the door frame. Unlike yesterday, she found herself stopped midway, though it wasn’t as though I had called out to her or anything.  
“Oh, hold on.”  
Kyoko now stopped in her trail, did a complete turn, to face me again.

“I wanted to ask you a question, It’s been… eating at me for a while.”

“Yes?”  
As Kyoko, I also stood from where I had been seated, intending to head back to my room to shower.

“Why are you so set on staying here?”

“I…”  
The fact was, I didn’t want to be there at all. I knew that all too well, but I had to insist on that line of defense to convince everyone I would never commit a murder.  
But… maybe, I thought to myself, if I provide a truthful answer…

“Well, when I’m with you, I’m not so sure.”  
I passed Kyoko, whose eyes widened in apparent shock. However, I wouldn’t stop and instead continued past her, so that I could leave the room first. I stared off to the side, to judge the time… It looked to still be pretty early, so there was no point in showering in the end.

Kyoko stood there in solitude, still in apparent shock from what I had said.

“Do you… really mean that?”

————

“Ah, you got here early, Kyoko. Why is this so?”  
The cafeteria was empty, the only sound to be heard being the clock that hung above us on the otherwise moderately bare wall. The large table that sat near the middle was used for group meetings, but since it was only the two of us, Kyoko had set up a tea set on a secluded table which strayed further away from the others. She appeared to be tired- hints of dark circles were visible under her eyes, but she continued as though she were completely fine.  
As I addressed her, she turned her head ever so slightly.

“I’m… It’s nothing. Thought I would prepare the tea bright and early, so you wouldn’t have to wait for me.”

“Oh, how thoughtful.”  
It was like I was already living my dream life- vampire servants catering to my every need, a life filled with opulence and luxury…  
Kyoko was hardly a substitute for a vampire, but she equaled about the same amount of companionship.

“I don’t have a particular favorite type of tea, so I just… made what I’m used to.”  
She held out her hand to bring my attention to the tea set which was placed neatly in the middle of the table. Alongside it was a small platter of cakes and chocolates, dressed up so that they matched the burgundy color of the tea set.  
I could hardly express my gratitude for what she had done for me, and yet I could hardly suppress it too.  
I was truly and utterly speechless.

“Kyoko, it’s…!”

But she simply laughed in response.  
“It’s nothing… I’m quite the busybody, so this is nothing to me.”

“Mhmm, perhaps you should take over from Hifumi as my personal tea slave?”  
I joked, taking my place opposite her at the table.

“Hey, a small favor was the deal, Miss Ludenburg.”  
She laughed in response.

————-  
An hour or so had passed since we had begun our meeting, and Kyoko seemed to liven up since when the conversation had begun. We hadn’t really talked about anything in particular. It was just idle conversation, though we were both content with that. But, Kyoko couldn’t speak of her past as I could, though I was reluctant. I had a past that I remembered, and found it easy to recount tales from my youth. Kyoko could say snippets of stories, but never know how they began or how they ended. I tried to stay supportive through that- the least I could do was encourage her, and hope that she remembered soon.

After a moment of comfortable silence, Kyoko finally spoke up.  
“Ah, what was it again?”

“What was what?”

“Yes, my bad… I really should have brought it along.”  
It was as though she was having a conversation with herself, and I couldn’t help but give in to my curiosity.  
“What’s wrong, Kyoko?”

“Left something I got for you in my room. You can come with me to get it if you’d like.”

It was too much. The incredible tea, the help during pool, the strategy talk for Othello, the considerate way she would speak to me… why was she being so kind? And, to top it all off, she was going to give me something else…

“Ah, I’ve just finished my tea. Shouldn’t be much of a problem. Anyways, may I ask… why you felt the need to get me something?”

I rose from my seat, moving my chair aside to allow me to maneuver my way out. Kyoko did the same, placing her now empty teacup on its saucer.  
“I… I just happened to get it in the mono-mono machine, and thought you’d be interested in it.”

I nodded at her, and she could infer I was happy to accompany her.

————-

“You have a very orderly room, Kyoko.”

“Did you expect any less?”

The walk through the hallway was short, to the point where I wasn’t even sure it even happened. Kyoko’s room was a sight for sore eyes, kept so clean that there wasn’t a speck of dust in sight. I didn’t take her for the clean freak type, but I supposed that she just liked things to be orderly. Maybe not in the kind of way that Taka did, but orderly nonetheless.  
“It’s a little bare of items, however… I could help you with that if you’d like. We could pick up items that are to your taste and decorate.”  
I began to become excited at the thought of redecorating an empty room. It was calm from the storm that was my daily life.

“You really don’t have to do so much for me.”  
She said, searching her bedside drawer, only retrieving a sewing kit from its depths. She sighed, shoving it back inside.  
Well, maybe not orderly.

“Well, after all, you’ve done for me, it’s only fair… besides, it’s not like a chore or anything. Just a fun thing for… uh, friends to do.”

“Ah… yes, friends.”

There was some type of nervous tension between us as I said that. Was it strange to proclaim us as friends? I wondered what she’d rather I called her. Well, it’s not as though I was immune to that sort of thing. Even for me, it was strange to say she… was my friend…?

“I’m sure I left it over… here? Maybe the bathroom? I don’t recall ever putting it in there, but it's worth checking out.”  
She broke the awkward tension between us by deciding to check the bathroom. I knew she didn’t really think it was in there but just wanted an excuse to stop the uncomfortable staring.

Alone in Kyoko’s room, I allowed myself to have more of an in-depth look around. It was just as I first thought- practically bare. It was strange because my room came fully furnished. In fact, Kyoko forgot her talent, didn’t she? Maybe Monokuma was trying not to give her any hints.  
Yet, something was lying on the table that I hadn’t noticed before- a silky black notebook, which appeared to be practically falling off of the table.

I assumed that Kyoko wouldn’t mind if I snooped around a bit, she had invited me after all. With one hand, I grasped on to the notebook, and with the other, I flipped through the pages, one by one. Before long, I discovered a pattern.  
‘Makoto Naegi’...  
‘Byakuya Togami’...  
‘Sakura Ogami’...  
There was a page for each student, up-to-date with high-quality observations and information Kyoko had learned from them.

After flipping through the pages, and learning more about each student, my hands stopped.

‘Celestia Ludenburg 

Celeste is a wildcard. I’m almost certain she’ll try and kill to escape. Her whole, ‘I want to stay here’ defense is so that we won’t suspect her when the time comes around.  
I don’t know if I can stop her, but I’d at least like to know more about her.  
Oh well, I’ll see.’

…

With a look of disgust, I threw the notebook into the bin that was positioned nearby. Not so forcefully that it made too much noise, but it was used so that I could take out my frustration.  
So, that’s it. She was being nice to me because she feared I’d kill someone. She didn’t actually care about me.  
Maybe that’s why she’d been so cautious around the word ‘friends’. 

Without being unnecessarily loud, I stormed my way towards her door and left as quickly as possible. I couldn’t stand the thought that I had been played for a fool… me, Celestia Ludenburg… no…  
Me, Taeko Yasuhiro.  
The queen of lies herself had been lied to, and she couldn’t see what was right beneath her nose… what an idiot. 

I suppose I was just as angry at Kyoko as I was at myself, for allowing myself to actually trust another individual, knowing the circumstances.  
Maybe she poisoned the food, to get rid of me before I could do anything harmful.  
These thoughts consumed me as I unlocked my door, and headed inside of my room.

I was so tired of everything that I thought I could sleep for hundreds of years, and still not be done.

————-

I woke to the frenzied sound of tapping at my door. I hadn’t even realized I fell asleep- and I guessed that even the morning announcement wasn’t enough to wake me from my slumber. How long was I out?  
It’s not like I would never find out, all I had to do was open the door and-

Oh.  
Open the door.  
I had immediately assumed the person on the other side was Kyoko, desperate to apologize, though a liar like her wouldn’t care about my emotions. She’d just lie into another corner, get caught, and the circle of lies would continue.

“Celeste, it’s me, Aoi! I just wanna check on you, if you could open up.”

And still…  
‘Is it Aoi? I can’t even tell. I just don’t feel like myself today, and I can’t distinguish one voice from another.  
If it’s someone coming to kill me, maybe then I can feel something. Hear something. Do something.  
And besides, if it is Aoi, I don’t think she has a harmful bone in her body.’

Reluctantly, I rose from my bed, where I’d left an imprint due to how long I had been lying there.  
My room, apart from that, was almost as spotless as Kyoko’s, so I knew I needed to fix that as soon as possible.  
On my way over to the door, the erratic knocking suddenly stopped. I assume whoever was at the door could hear my footprints, and decided to allow me to decide my course of action from there.  
I felt my fingers, one by one, grapple on to the doorknob, and with an unusual amount of aggression, I forced the door open.

Of course, it was the one person I didn’t want to see. She was really testing my patience, even just by coming to my room in the first place.

“You… really opened the door? It was a poor impression, and-“

Of course, the millisecond I opened the door, and she started ranting in about whatever she felt like, I felt regret. An obscene amount of regret.  
Here she was, having the audacity to test me once more after I’d found out that’s all I meant to her.  
“Oh, must you always be testing me, Miss Kirigiri? Is that all you’re about? Having an experiment?”

“That’s not-“  
At that moment, something must have clicked in her head.  
I hadn’t exactly left concrete proof of my reasoning for leaving so abruptly. I’m sure she had figured it out by that point, but that question really sealed the deal.

“Just leave it. Cut your losses, and leave. I don’t really care about you regardless.”  
I lied. Plain and simple. I did still care about her, but perhaps giving her the same treatment as she had given me would make her leave.

“Yet, you seem awfully riled up for someone who claims not to care.”  
Unfortunately, this was not the case. Kyoko was perceptive, but also didn’t exactly know where the boundaries were as far as friendships go.

Still hostile, I stood my ground, forcing her further out into the hallway. I couldn’t stand to be in the same vicinity as her.  
“I’m… I'm sorry. I suppose I’ve not been totally clear about my motivations for hanging out with you. But, I just want to talk with you.”

Though, a part of me still wanted to know. Still wanted to hear it straight from her.

“Speak. You have limited time. You’re lucky I allowed you in my presence, to begin with.”

“It’s true I initially began to spend time with you to learn if you were a potential threat, but… I do care about you.”

Kyoko looked to be on the verge of… tears?

“I didn’t expect to enjoy myself so much. And… that’s why…”

“I’ll do anything. Please… I wish I could fix my mistakes, but…”

Her hands intertwined, head facing down, showcasing more emotion than ever before. 

Her grip wasn’t too firm, and I managed to separate her two hands to take them in mine…

“You don’t have to keep going. Begrudgingly, I… I forgive you. You could say I’ve been investigating you too, and you’re not that type of person.”

“Celeste…”

“Actually, compromise, you make me tea again today. I’m parched…”

“Ahaha, of course. Oh, now that I think of it…”

“Here. I wanted to give it to you earlier, but, better late than never, right?”  
Kyoko reached into her pocket, hand only returning when it had a certain object in its palm.

“K-Kyoko! This is…”

“It’s called a love status ring. I… I guess it was fate, huh? Just your luck that this is what I fished out of that thing.”

“I-It’s- It’s gorgeous…”

“Well, I guess it’s my get out of jail free card, huh?”

“Pffft, Nope, you’re still in jail. But… thank you.”

“C’mon, let's go back to the cafeteria. I’d love to show off the ring I got you to Byakuya.”

“I’m gonna run it in his smarmy face.”

“Hey!”

“Ahaha…”

…

Rising flames.

Eerie ambiance.

The rising smoke that curves and twists it’s way by my face, mocking me.

Yet, I cannot face the perpetrator.

…

My hands are tied, both physically and metaphorically. 

...

The smoke…  
Is causing my delusions.

The smoke…  
Is making me imagine what’s not really there.

The smoke…  
Is making me think you ever actually approached me.

But, as I want to call out to you, my voice halts.  
K-Kyoko…

And yet, as you look back at me…

You… I wish we actually… spent time together.

You could never know the you I knew.

And… yet, somehow, as if you saw the same thing…

A flicker of regret appears on your face.

I want to scream, I want to scream, I want to proclaim that I love you for the world to hear.

Aha, you’d probably just think I’m mad.

Or… maybe you’d understand?

...

Only yesterday…

…

I’ve never felt so empty.


End file.
